1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to pet toys and more specifically pertains to pet toys that provide exercise and entertainment for pets, particularly when they have to stay outside or are left alone for any length of time.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of pet toys is known in the prior art. More specifically, pet toys heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of providing exercise and amusement for pets are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
The present invention is directed to improving toys that provide exercise and amusement for pets in a manner which is safe, secure, economical and aesthetically pleasing.
Pet owners are concerned with their pets well-being and it is a common desire to provide them with playful exercise to keep them in good health. Numerous toys have been devised to entertain and provide exercise for pets, such as dogs and cats. These toys are especially valuable when the pets are left alone, confined to small areas, or are outside away from their owners.
The use of pet toys is known in the prior art. More specifically, exercise and amusement toys for dogs or other pets. For example, an exercise and amusement device for pets is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,111,771 to Mathews, which has a reinforced rubber tube stuffed with a sponge rubber stuffing and is suspended from a mounting bracket, ceiling, tree limb, etc.
Another example of a pet toy is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,272 that comprises a length of cotton rope which is woven so as to define a closed loop handle, a shaft portion extending from the loop handle and a pair of tail portions extending from the shaft portion.
A further patent of interest is U.S. Pat. No. 322,147 which shows an ornamental design of a toy for a dog or other pet. Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 323,005 shows an ornamental design of a toy dog.
A therapeutic dental hygienic pet toy is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,802,444 that includes an elastomeric body with at least one groove open on the outer surface. As the toy is chewed by the pet it facilitates scraping plaque and other debris from the teeth.
Another relevant patent of interest includes U.S. Pat. No. 3,476,086.
Drawbacks of the prior art pet toys are lack of a variety of toys and aids present within the overall device. The present invention provides the pet with a variety of toys, such as imitation birds or cats, a hollow ball with a bell contained inside, and rawhide bones. Some of the toys may emit sounds when squeezed by the pet, such as a squeaking noise. This helps to provoke interest from the pet. The toys provide playful exercise and the rawhide bones, in particular, aid in cleaning the pet's teeth and massaging the pet's gums.
Further, unlike the invention described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,111,771, the present invention can provide the pet with some degree of weather protection if the toy and pet are outdoors and the pet lies underneath the dome. The height of the dome member is made to allow space for the pet to remain underneath it, if the pet desires to do so. Also, the pet toy is versatile in that besides having a variety of toys available, the pet can cause the dome with dangling toys to spin in circles creating an additional desired feature of running exercise for the pet.
Further, the pet toy has two designs allowing flexibility in how the toy can be placed in different locations. One design has a base plate and is suitable for indoor or outdoor sites. The second design does not employ the base plate, but instead takes on a typical stake appearance and is more suitable for outdoor use. The prior art toys are shown as more suitable for outdoors and large size dogs, as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,111,771 or shown as hand-held toys, causing the pet owner to participate in the play event, as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,272. The present invention is a stand-alone toy, such that an owner does not have to be present for the play event. The other prior art toy shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,802,444 is simply an individual chew bone. The present invention offers more variety to the pet.
In this respect, the pet toy according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing exercise and amusement for pets.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for new and improved pet toy which can provide exercise and amusement for the pet. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.
As illustrated by the background art, efforts are continuously being made in an attempt to create a variety of pet toys. No prior effort, however, provides the benefits attendant with the present invention. Additionally, the prior patents and commercial techniques do not suggest the present inventive combination of component elements arranged and configured as disclosed and claimed herein.
The present invention achieves its intended purposes, objects, and advantages through a new, useful and unobvious combination of method steps and component elements, with the use of a minimum number of functioning parts, at a reasonable cost to manufacture, and by employing only readily available materials.